CENTRAL — Life Tabernacle Church Pastor Mark Anthony “Tony” Spell addressed the public in a press conference Wednesday after an incident Tuesday morning resulted in his arrest on a second-degree battery charge.
Spell said that he was in his church’s parking lot Tuesday morning around 9 a.m. swapping out a battery on a bus when an individual who lives across the street was walking “up and down the shoulder” of the highway allegedly shouting profanities and other phrases to Spell.
“He said, ‘Tony,’ I’m quoting him. He said, ‘Tony, I’m going to rape your wife, I’m going to rape all of your grandchildren,’ and he said ‘the next time you go out of town, I’m going to kill them, and what the F are you going to do about it?’ End quote.” Spell said at the conference.
According to EBRSO’s affidavit for Spell’s arrest yesterday, the man told deputies he yelled out “F— you” to Spell and “that was it.”
After the man, identified as the 20-year-old victim, yelled at Spell, that’s when the pastor allegedly crossed Hooper Road and a physical fight ensued, captured on video. According to the affidavit, the man told deputies he curled up on the ground as Spell was physically hitting him, but at some point when he got up, Spell stopped, left and walked back to the church where he spoke with witnesses. However, camera footage that deputies reviewed shows the two men fighting in a grassy area on the shoulder of Hooper.
“I can’t allow a man to rape my wife. I can’t allow a man to rape my grandchildren. I will not allow a man to murder my children when I’m gone,” Spell said. At the time of his arrest on Tuesday, neither Spell nor his attorney (Jeff Wittenbrink) wanted to make any statement to deputies, according to the affidavit.
At today’s press conference, Spell’s attorney said that for many years, the family across the street from the church has complained about the church and started making “daily obscenities” toward members of the congregation.
The Sherwin family lives next door to the church. The husband and father, Scott Sherwin, responded to the claim of his son starting yesterday’s incident. “No, he did not. Pastor Spell has a habit of not telling the truth in an attempt to shift the narrative into his direction. He’s a professional at playing the victim.”
UWK contacted EBRSO for any reports filed this year. The first incident EBRSO included was reported on May 30, 2026: “The resident stated that a church member was on his property and he did not want her there.”
The only other report EBRSO included was at 10:50 a.m. May 31, 2026: “The complainant reported the resident across the street from the church was in his driveway and flipped him off.”
“No threats were ever reported to EBRSO,” per the sheriff’s office.
UWK reached out to Central Police for any filed reports by the Sherwins or the Spells. Central PD says Mrs. Spell did file a report with them on March 8, 2026 about two incidents she said happened involving Scott Sherwin’s son, one on March 4 and the other on March 8. Both complaints include allegations of flipping off Mrs. Spell during road rage incidents. At the conclusion of the investigation, Sherwin’s son was not ticketed or summoned due to a lack of any evidence.
No other reports have been filed about harassment from the Spells about their neighbors, according to Central Police.
On Wednesday afternoon, Central PD released the following statement from Chief Roger Corcoran:
“The Central Police Department has received calls, messages, and comments regarding the June 23, 2026, incident on Hooper Road and investigated by the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The Central Police Department was not involved in that investigation, which resulted in the arrest of Pastor Tony Spell for Second Degree Battery. The investigation and arrest decision in that incident were handled by the Sheriff’s Office.
Allegations that the Central Police Department has failed to investigate complaints lodged by Pastor or Mrs. Spell are untrue. Our records reflect only 5 incidents involving Pastor or Mrs. Spell in the past 4 years, and only one of those involved a complaint against their neighbors. All calls to our department are recorded, and all persons who visit our department to make in-person complaints are captured on video. If dates and times complaints were allegedly made are provided to me, I will order an audit of our systems to investigate any claim of a failure to investigate.
For many years, and to this day, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office has served as the primary law enforcement agency for incidents like this. We will work to support the Sheriff’s Office, should our assistance be requested, as it continues to conduct its investigation. The safety of our citizens is, and will always remain, my top priority.”
“My understanding is that there have been many many complaints filed with the Central City Police and with the Sheriff’s Office,” Wittenbrink told reporters.
Spell was adamant his actions yesterday were to protect his family and congregation: “When you threaten to rape my wife, when you threaten to rape my grandchildren, and the next time you leave, go out of town, I’m going to kill every one of them— as a man, as a father, and as a pastor, I can’t allow that.”
Spell bonded out of the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Tuesday night. His bond was set at $25,000.
Previous story June 23
CENTRAL — An ongoing feud and years of bickering has now landed a Central pastor behind bars on June 23 after he allegedly ran across the highway to physically beat a young man. The incident was all caught on camera, according to family.
Pastor Mark Anthony “Tony” Spell, who’s been the pastor at Life Tabernacle Church in Central for around 17 years, is accused of beating a 20-year-old man Tuesday morning around 10. East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies arrested Spell and charged him with one count of second-degree battery. His bond was set at $25,000.
According to EBRSO, the victim told deputies he was in front of his home when he saw Spell across the street at the church. The young man said he yelled out “F— you” to Spell and “that was it,” however, Spell then crossed the road and onto the property allegedly to beat him.
The Sherwin family lives next door to the church. The husband and father, Scott Sherwin, responded to the claim of his son starting it. “No, he did not. Pastor Spell has a habit of not telling the truth in an attempt to shift the narrative into his direction. He’s a professional at playing the victim.”
Sherwin tells UWK it’s been an ongoing feud dating back to COVID-19 and cameras that were put on the servitude, but Pastor Spell believed the cameras were on Sherwin’s property to keep tabs on Spell.
“My child’s in the hospital right now,” Scott Sherwin told UWK. According to Sherwin, his son was taken to the hospital after the incident, with blood coming from his mouth and nose. His son was transported from the scene in stable condition. He said the 20-year-old received five stitches in the chest, but he doesn’t have a concussion. The affidavit from EBRSO states that EMS reported he “may have a broken orbital bone around his right eye and needed stitches under his chin.”
He was at work when his son was allegedly attacked, but the incident was caught on surveillance video, which Sherwin turned over to EBRSO deputies, who responded to the scene.
“My son arrived at the house at 10:06 a.m. this morning, coming home from his grandma’s house. He turned and pulled in the driveway, turned around back in the driveway, and I’m not exactly sure what set Pastor Spell off, but Pastor Spell came running across the highway towards my child and attacked him and physically beat my child, threw him to the ground, and continued beating,” Sherwin told UWK.
According to the arrest warrant, Sherwin’s son told deputies he curled up on the ground as Spell was physically hitting him, but at some point when he got up, Spell stopped, left and walked back to the church where he spoke with witnesses. However, camera footage that deputies reviewed shows the two men fighting in a grassy area on the shoulder of Hooper.
Sherwin said that this is nothing new, because Spell has filed suit against the family and others since COVID-19, including for surveillance cameras in the servitude in front of Sherwin’s home. Before today’s incident, Sherwin said that Spell’s wife filed a police report alleging that his son was acting in ‘road rage’ against her while he was driving a green truck. Sherwin said that truck is a company vehicle and driving haphazardly would mean the possibility of losing the vehicle or being fired.
Central PD says Mrs. Spell did file a report with them on March 8, 2026 about two incident she said happened involving Sherwin’s son, one on March 4 and the other on March 8. Both complaints include allegations of flipping off Mrs. Spell during road rage incidents. At the conclusion of the investigation, Sherwin’s son was not ticketed or summoned due to a lack of any evidence.
No other reports have been filed about harassment from the Spells about their neighbors, according to Central Police.
Sherwin said he’s talked to responding officers and the district attorney’s office about the ongoing situation and what steps he can take to protect his family, but he’s currently at a loss. After this incident, however, he said he is filing for a protective order.
“We have had threats from Pastor Spell to physically hurt me and my wife,” he added.
When they responded to the scene, EBRSO deputies watched footage of the incident on the man’s cell phone. As Spell walks toward the property, the victim says “What are you going to do” and then the victim later screams for help as the physical fight occurs, per the affidavit. Deputies also watched surveillance camera footage of the incident.
According to the warrant, when deputies approached Spell about what happened, he refused to speak without his attorney present. Once his attorney arrived, they advised that Spell did not want to make any statement and to continue with the booking process. Spell was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on the charge of second-degree battery.
Pastor Mark Spell’s previous arrests & lawsuits
Pastor Spell was arrested in March 2020 after he was accused of defying Louisiana & Governor John Bel Edwards’ stay-at-home order by holding church services at Life Tabernacle Church during the Covid pandemic.
At the time, Spell claimed that close to 1,000 people attended each of the services at his church but the order’s gathering limit was 50 people, according to Governor Edwards’ orders.
He was charged with six counts of violating the governor’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Then, about a month later, he was arrested and charged with aggravated assault after he was accused of coming just a few feet away from running over a protester while driving his church bus.
Pastor Spell filed a lawsuit in federal court in Louisiana saying his First Amendment rights had been violated. A federal court judge dismissed the case. Spell appealed to the Fifth Circuit, who doubled down on the Federal Court’s ruling to dismiss the case.
In 2023, Spell told UWK “It’s a loss but I’ve never been prouder of a loss” and said he had planned to appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
Spell sued the Sherwins in 2024 in his suit against Gov. John Bel Edwards, Sheriff Sid Gautreaux, Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran, and others. He alleged that the Sherwins did illegal surveillance on his church in furtherance of the violations being committed by officials.
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